Hyderabad: If the residents of Valley View layout on Banjara Hills road number 12, comprising 12 houses, had hoped for a relaxed Sunday two days ago, they were in for a shocker of a day.
At around 8 am, Kaajal Maheshwari, a colony resident, heard an unusual noise from the roadside. When she went out of her house to check, to her sho-ck, several unknown men were cutting off trees with axes and sharp saw-blades.
She burst out screaming angrily, which alerted other residents of the colony. Within no time, residents gathered to try to stop the massacre of the trees, but by then, it was too late. These environmentally conscious residents had failed to protect the life sources, oxygen-providing trees, from the sharp blades of axes in the hands of remorseless men.
An automobile showroom on Banjara Hills road number 12, considered a luxurious part of the city, had arranged for men to undertake a ruthless cutting of trees because they wanted a better view of cars within their showroom for passersby. The Valley View layout residents, therefore, began a protest outside the car showroom. During the heated argument that ensued, someone informed the police. Cops rushed to the spot to enquire about the issue.
For the environment-loving citizens, it was a double whammy — not only were trees cut, but done so to give a better view of the gas-guzzling SUVs inside the showroom.
The residents approach-ed a social activist group, named Citizens of Hyderabad, which since 2015 has been campaigning to save trees at the KBR Park. This group tweeted the issue, saying, “five fully grown trees were removed from public footpath, illegally”.
Hari Chandana, zonal co-mmissioner, GHMC, west zone, known for her typically bureaucratic reply, ‘sure, will look into it,’ responded this time, saying, “sure, we will take action.” Ironically, when the state was recently on a greenery campaign, Hari-tha Haram, it is a tremendous setback to the spirit.
A few years ago a, successful movie producer failed to prevent a huge neem tree at the Film Nagar junction from being uprooted, despite lodging many a written complaint with the forest department and the GHMC authorities.
In another case, I.V. Nagesh, who fought many such battles to protect trees in the city, lodging complaints against violators, said, “I ensured a builder ended up paying a huge fine for cutting off a tree at Banjara Hills.”
But none of the Valley View residents came forward to lodge a written complaint with the authorities so that the culprits are brought to book. But they claim they are “actively protesting against it on social media.”
“People have no social responsibility towards environment or society. But these people are hyper-active on social media platforms, spreading gyan and demonstrating pseudo concern,” said Kaajal Mahesh-wari, of Citizens of Hydera-bad group¸ angrily.
When enquired with the car showroom, Murli, head of the admin department, said, “Our intention was not to give a better look for the showroom. The branches are falling down because of these old trees, causing damage to expensive cars on sale or for servicing. We have orally taken permission from the authorities.”
An elderly gentleman, resident of Valley View, whose daughter-in-law saw the act in early hours of Sunday, told us, “Those were 30 year-old trees. We residents had planted them on the government pavement and protected them. We watered them well. It is very sad that those trees were murdered. Yes, murdered.”
It is a bizarre truth of the city where, while there is growing concern about climate change and environment, we find trees being mercilessly chopped off in the heart of the city and the GHMC does nothing.
